A/n- I'm sorry I have to write this at the start! It's 11PM in England right now and I just got back from the cinema seeing Catching Fire. Oh. My. God. It was absolutely MAGNIFICENT. Guys, Francis Lawrence is pure genius, everything is great down to a T. I love Johanna in it, especially in her Capitol interview I laughed so hard, but I won't be a movie spoiler and say what she did! When the casting list came through I was so, so, so disappointed in Sam Claflin's role as Finnick... Mostly because of looks, but also because I wasn't keen on his performance in Snow White and the Huntsman. But, I must say, he is a very talented actor; mostly in the action parts, the seductive Finnick was rather mediocre on Hunger Games standards but great all the same. The ending was brilliant. There is swearing in this which I like, it shows a different side of Katniss, especially at the end! All in all it was perfect, those are my little nags, but guys, if you haven't booked tickets yet (why wouldn't you?!) Do it. Now. Seriously, for your own personal happiness. It made my YEAR.

Ok so enough movie rambles, here's this chapter! Enjoy!

3: Motives

Dinner is an awkward affair. Finnick and I enter last; everybody is already seated, including a male and female I don't know. Chiara shoots us a disapproving look, and Finnick winks at her. She giggles and looks down, and it makes me question her motive behind the see-through dress. He has her wrapped around his finger, along with everybody else in the Capitol.

I try to pull out the very extravagant dining chair as quietly as I can, but it scrapes along the wooden floorboards, creating an awful screech. Everybody looks at me; I blush and sit down, wondering if I can possibly make a bigger fool of myself. I hear Chiara mutter something along the lines of "Those floorboards are mahogany. Effie would go ballistic". Effie Trinket is the Escort of District 12, and her get ups are nearly as ridiculous as Chiara's.

Mags attempts small talk several times, which dwindles out like a weak candle flame in the wind. I can't bring myself to eat, partly for fear of it all coming back up, but mostly because I feel angry, furious even, at the Capitol. They can give us all of this exquisite food, most of which I've never seen, in such large quantities which will undoubtedly be put to waste- but they cannot give the Districts in poverty even a half decent tessarae? I pick disgustedly at the cheapest thing I can find, a small bread roll, but even that is the quality of 4's best baker. Mags seems to notice I'm not eating, and I can feel her looking at me worriedly all the way through dinner.

"You must eat, child. You're thin as a length of rope" she says gently. I look up at her apologetically, and subtly gesture at all the plates of food and make a money sign then a vomit gesture with my fingers. I hear Finnick smirk, and he is watching me and Mags. I look down again, I must look so stupid. I've gone from being weak and scared to defiant. I wonder if I have an emotional problem.

"I'm not very hungry, I'm sorry." I murmur as I stand up, being sure not to scrape the floor. I nod to everybody and leave. I wander down the hall, discovering all kinds of rooms, bathrooms and cupboards.

I trudge into my room and fling open the window, sticking my head out of it. The gale is so strong it threatens to wipe my face away. I grip the window sill and lean out farther. It is exhilarating, as if all my worries are being picked up and whisked away, and very cool. My face turns numb and my hair whips around me, and on the horizon I see the lights of what must be District 3 glowing in the twilight. The wind begins to develop a very static feel to it, and I remember- District 3 is the Capitol's technology supplier. We are very close for Districts, and sometimes on clear, summer nights you can faintly see the lights shimmering. It's beautiful.

"Be careful, Sleeping Beauty, if the wind changes direction your face will be stuck like that forever." I nearly, jump out of my skin, Finnick is standing merely inches from me, and how did he get in without me noticing?! His breath feels very warm against my frozen neck, and I slowly ease back into the room.

"You scared me" I state, placing my hand over my heart. He smiles at me, his green eyes swallowing me up in folds of emerald and summer leaves. I realise he must be subtly reminding me of how awful I must look; I probably look as if I've been dragged backwards through a hedge.

"Oh, god. I must look so strange" I say worriedly. I go to the mirror on the vanity in the corner of the room, and my fears were correct. My hair is matted and wild, and the hair pin that was holding back my fringe is long gone, so it hangs down raggedly over my face. I gasp at my reflection, and notice Finnick out the corner of the mirror, watching me.

"You don't look strange" He says "You just look... Eccentric" He decides. I laugh at his poor attempt to make me feel better before realising it actually worked, because I'm laughing.

"I bet the fabulous Finnick Odair never looks eccentric" I smirk as I tug a comb through my hair. I feel strange, I haven't even known him for a day and yet I am already having a full, normal conversation with him, something that only happened with Mari back home.

Finnick winks at me and says "Finnick Odair doesn't look fabulous, my dear. Finnick Odair looks flawless!" I roll my eyes at him, and become even more surprised. I'm not confident; I don't roll my eyes at people. How is Finnick Odair doing this? How is he coaxing a strange alternate me out into existence? I decide to try ceasing the conversation, but Finnick seems to have other ideas.

"You never ate" He says. Yes, I never ate, because the sheer amount and quality of food was overwhelming and horrifying. He walks over towards the door, and I feel quite relived that he is leaving until he reaches for the phone, mounted on the wall next to the doorframe.

"Room service for Annie Cresta please" He purrs down the phone. Honestly, he will flirt with anything he can!

"Anything from District 4 will be perfect, thank you." He ends, placing the phone back on the wall. I sit on the edge of the bed and begin fiddling with the hem of my shirt, running it between my fingers, lightly tugging it and twisting it. Finnick sits beside me, and I feel him watching me until I look up.

"Yes?" I ask him, still not fully understanding why he has not left yet.

"Well, you can't expect me to order some of my favourite foods from home and just leave, my dear. This is District 4 cuisine at its finest!" He sings, almost as if he is advertising it.

"I'm sorry, Finnick, but right now 'District 4 cuisine at its finest' is not at the top of my mind" I say quietly, the back of my eyes and nose stinging where I'm refusing to let tears flow. Finnick slides closer to me on the bed and takes my face in his hands. I freeze, momentarily paralyzed from the warmth of his large hands against my still numb face.

"Annie Cresta, your sister came to see me earlier today," He says. Oh, so it wasn't a hallucination, my own sister doesn't believe I can win. "And I promised her; I swore on my own life, that I would try to get you out of the arena alive. Not just for her, but for you too. You aren't like other tributes- you seem more normal, more likeable. But, in order for me to get you out of there alive, I need you to cooperate. I can't get you to win this alone, got that?" He tells me. It hurts to say he is right, I do need to cooperate, and my attitude right now is not promoting that.

"I'm sorry" I say, red cheeked and embarrassed at my fall back to reality

"Don't apologise; you do it too much," He tells me softly "How about a smile?" He grins. I manage to tug the corners of my lips up, but no more. He laughs at my careless attempt, which in turn makes me begin laughing too. It must be contagious of something.

"Finnick?" I ask after my laughter calms down

"Yes, dear Tribute?" He says openly

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm going to die soon" I murmur sadly.

Finnick stares at me with his brows furrowed. Even he doesn't know why. 'Maybe I'm too likeable' I think grimly.

"Because I'm your Mentor, darling. It's my job, I hate you really" He winks. I laugh slightly, and then sigh. Why isn't he giving me an honest answer?

"You're not even my Mentor, Mags is" I point out exasperatedly, he looks slyly at me.

"Oh, this year there has been a few changes. Mags is mentoring his highness Chariston. You are lucky enough to be Mentored by me," He says happily, as if I've just won the prize draw the Mayor does every year, where the winner gets given a year's worth of bakery produce for free. Why is he mentoring me? Surely he would want Seger over me? Sure, he's quiet, stuck up and arrogant, but he's a Career, he looks nearly as strong as Finnick. Mags always ends up getting the weaker Tribute.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"You know what Finnick. Don't lie. Seger is so much stronger and confident than I am, why would you personally choose somebody who will die? How could you put yourself through that?" I cry, tears threatening to overspill my eyes. Finnick sighs, as if this is a question he gets asked hourly and is sick of answering, and is about to respond when a young Avox girl, no older than me, knocks at the door and walks in with a large tray holding some agonisingly familiar food. She smiles politely, and places it on the table, she leaves as quickly as she came, bowing quickly at Finnick.

"Come on Sleeping Beauty, eat up, I ordered this specially" He smiles. I can't help it, I have to eat. It's as if the shellfish and the green flecks in the bread are practically screaming my name. I take some bread, fruit and several seafood dishes and perch on the edge of the table. I look up to find Finnick watching me, again. I scoop some up some paella from my plate and taste it.

"My sister makes the world's best paella" I blurt out without thinking.

"Is that so? Well, when we're both back home I'll be the judge of that!" He smiles. Yeah, I'll come home... In a coffin.

"Seriously, this stuff is like the oysters from Ernest's stall compared to her paella!" I exclaim. Finnick groans

"Not Ernest's oysters! Mags sent me out a few weeks ago to get oysters for her chowder, but I went to Ernest's stall instead of the Fishmonger's, we had food poisoning for a week, she nearly killed me!" He laughs. I join him. One time Mari bought Mama some oysters from there by accident, I went off of chowder for years. Ernest is an old, sketchy man with only one arm who sells very bad quality seafood. He walks to shoreline finding dead, or barely living, sea creatures and claiming them fresh. I have no idea how the Peacekeepers haven't shut him down yet. I carry on eating, but find the paella only makes me feel homesick. I try some fish pie, but after getting a small one lodged in my throat I stop eating that too. I end up with just bread and honey, and Finnick cleans up my leftovers effortlessly, I wonder how he eats so much. We make little effort to talk, as the silence is comfortable. I pick at fruit, strawberries and apples, several I've never seen, when I see a banana. The fruit we had on my Mother's birthday, Chiara's hair colour, and the last fruit I ate before she died. Before I know it I'm crying quietly, but Finnick still notices, he comes and sits at the edge of the table with me and holds my hand. It's comforting and I soon stop.

"Want to talk about it?" He asks softly. I shake my head, I don't feel like talking.

Suddenly the door flies open, and a furious looking Seger is striding through. Finnick jumps up, defences on in a flash, and blocks his way.

"Decided to make an appearance then, you're Highness?" He says coolly. Seger glares at him and looks over at me.

"I need to talk to Annie" He states matter-of-factly. His voice is very smooth and deep, and doesn't fit his appearance very well. I stand up and slide around Finnick, too preoccupied scowling at Seger to notice me. I follow him through the train, and we end up in a spare lounge, filled with velvet purple seats and crystal and glass accessories everywhere.

He sits in one of the armchairs, and signals to the one opposite him. I sink into it, and he begins talking.

"I was just talking to Mags about the arena," He starts "She wants us both to join the Careers. I don't want to. I'd rather die in the bloodbath than ally with that scum" He says darkly. I look up at him; he's watching me evenly, waiting for a reply. I nod, I agree with him totally. "She says it's 'The best thing to do'. Sure, it gets us supplies for a while, decent weapons, hell; we could even get rid of half the others at the bloodbath. But what're gonna do when we wake up and the other has a slit throat? I've watched the Games every year, like you, and every year we join the Careers and die." He is still scowling; I think I know where he's going.

"What are you suggesting?" I ask

"I'm suggesting we go on our own, we go to the Cornucopia as if we're allying with them, and then run. We can hide out, maybe pick off a few others while we wait, then we take them out." He says simply.

"It's very risky. They'll be furious when they find out we've been playing them. I'm a terrible liar and I can't fight. You're a Career, you'd do better without me" I sigh

"I'm not a Career. I won't ever be either. I didn't want to go to that wretched school, I wasn't going to, and then my brother was reaped." I gasp as I remember Irving Chariston, the 18 year old Fisherman's boy who was killed when one of the Careers threw an axe at his head whilst he was collecting water. District 4 was outraged, Irving was so popular in the District, and he was kind, funny, and a very good fisher.

"Irving! Oh, Seger, I'm so sorry!" I say, my eyes swimming. He smiles slightly at me.

"Don't worry about it, he's the reason I joined that awful school." He says. Of course, if your brother is killed sadistically by his own allies, you'd want to be on high defence.

"Seger, I'm sorry for saying this, but I think it's best if we join the Careers, just for a little while" I plead "It's the only way to survive"

Seger looks tiredly at me and stands up.

"We'll discuss this closer to the Games" he decides as he walks tensely out of the room.

"What did he want?" Finnick asks the moment he sees me.

"Talking about the Careers," I say sadly

"Stupid boy," He tuts, shaking his head. I yawn slightly, and he looks up.

"Get to bed, Sleeping Beauty. We'll be in the Capitol tomorrow." He smiles. "Sleep well, don't stay up too late thinking about me" He winks. I laugh at his arrogance as he leaves back to his room.